In the late nineteenth century during what came to be known as the Gilded Age, many industrialists and capitalists used the scientific theories of Charles Darwin to justify the growing inequalities and social and economic problems created by rapid industrialization and economic growth. During this time period, men like Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller grew very wealthy by creating monopolies in their industries. While these men were very successful, they were also often criticized for amassing great fortunes at the expense of workers and smaller companies. Workers were often paid very little and had to work long hours in harsh conditions; during this time, the gap between the rich and poor grew considerably. There was little government regulation, and the capitalists who benefited from this economic system, as well as the politicians who supported them, used Darwin's theory of evolution to justify growing social and economic inequality. According to social Darwinism, those who are powerful and wealthy in a society are inherently stronger and superior. They essentially supported the idea of "survival of the fittest," arguing that the successful and wealthy in society are "more fit" and that competition was necessary to weed out those who were unfit or weaker. Darwin himself did not agree with this viewpoint. His ideas about natural selection and evolution were meant to explain how species evolve and adapt over time according to their environments.
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